Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
The Day of Resurrection was written by St. John of Damascus, an eighth-century Greek poet. He is known for his writing of six canons for the major festivals of the church year. He lived a life of wealth and honor until he became dissatisfied with his life at age forty. He gave away his possessions, freed his slaves and entered […]
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Go to dark Gethsemane was written by James Montgomery. He was born in 1771 Ayrshire, Scotland. His parents died on the mission field while he was at boarding school. He is said to have a passion for missions, be independent minded and express radical ideas and causes. Montgomery was imprisoned briefly when he printed a song that celebrated the fall […]
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Thomas Ken was born in 1637 Hertfordshire, England. He studied a Winchester College and became ordained in the Church of England in 1662. He is said to be “a man of conscience and independent mind who did not shirk from confrontations with royalty.” The story is told “when King Charles II came to visit Winchester, he took along his mistress, […]
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Come down, O Love divine was written by Bianco da Siena an Italian poet and wool worker who was born at Anciolina, in the Val d’Arno around 1350. In 1367 he entered the Order of Jesuates, consisting of unordained men who followed the rule of St. Augustine. Little is known of Bianco beyond the fact that he is said to […]
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As We Gather at Your Table is a communion song. The hymn was written by Carl P. Daw. Daw was born in 1944 to a Baptist Minister. He became an Episcopal Priest and served congregations in Virginia, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. He began writing hymns and served as editor for several hymnals. “He is Curator of Hymnological Collections and Adjunct Professor […]
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Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven was written by Rev. Henry Francis Lyte. The text is based on Psalm 103 which begins with “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” He first published the song in his 1834 The Spirit of the Psalms and remains a popular hymn in some […]
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O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing was one of the more than six thousand hymns that was written by Charles Wesley. In May 1738, Charles Wesley was suffering from pleurisy, while studying with his brother, John, in London. During this time he was plagued with extreme doubts regarding his faith. After taking to his bed, he attended a Bible […]
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Day is Dying in the West was written by Mary Artemesia Lathbury. She was born on August 10, 1841 in Ontario County, New York. Day is dying in the West was written at the request of Rev. John H. Vincent in the summer of 1880. It was a “Vesper Song” used in the responsive services. The Vesper’s came from the […]
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God Leads Us Along is a beautiful hymn that is not as well known as many of other hymns.The hymn was written by George A. Young, an obscure preacher and carpenter. He often struggled to support his family on the meager amount he made. No exact date of birth is known but it is believed he was born sometime around […]
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I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart is a popular song with children as well as sung around a camp fire. The tune is upbeat, catchy and hard to forget. George William Cooke wrote the song, which was copyrighted as “Joy in My Heart” in 1925. As a young man, he twice circled the globe in evangelistic […]
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Breathe on Me, Breath of God was written by Edwin Hatch. Hatch was an English theologian born in Derby, England on September 4, 1835. He eventually became Bishop of Manchester and noted for his strong mental independence and extreme study habits. By the 1880s, he was a well-known lecturer. Hatch published the song privately in 1878 in a pamphlet titled […]
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Charles Wesley wrote Jesus, Lover of My Soul only months after he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. He titled his hymn “In Temptation”. Little is known about the details and inspiration of the writing of the hymn. The title “In Temptation” clues us in to he meant it to help with fighting sin. The poem was first published […]
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This Is My Father’s World was written by Maltbie Davenport Babcock in 1901. Babcock was a minister living in Lockport, New York. He enjoyed taking frequent walks along the Niagara Escarpment which provided a “panoramic vista of upstate New York scenery and Lake Ontario.” Upon leaving for his walk, he would tell his wife Katherine, he was “going out to […]
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There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit was written by gospel songwriter Doris Mae Akers. She was born in Brookfield, Missouri on May 21, 1923. She was one of ten children and developed an interest in music at an early age. By the age of six, she had taught herself to play piano by ear. She wrote her first song, “Keep the […]
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An art museum in Dusseldorf, Germany has a vivid painting on display of Christ, “wearing His crown of thorns as He stands before Pilate and the mob”. Underneath the painting, by Sternberg, are the word “This have I done for thee, what hast thou done for Me?” Francis Havergal came upon the painting while in Germany. Sources differ on whether […]
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Priscilla J. Owens was a Baltimore public school teacher for forty-nine years and often wrote hymns for children’s services. She was very involved in the Sunday School at her church. She wrote the words to this hymn for a missionary service in the Sunday School of Union Square Methodist Church. The song was “originally adapted to the chorus “Vive le […]
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The hymn God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is over 500 years. The song we sing today has a completely different meaning then at the time it originated. The hymn is one of the oldest known Christmas carols. Over the centuries, times and meanings have changed. The song we sing today does not have the same meaning that it did to […]
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Now Thank We All Our God is translated from the German hymn “Nun danket alle Gott”. The German hymn was written by Martin Rinkart in 1636. Rinkart was a Lutheran Minister and accomplished musician. At the beginning of the Thirty Years’ War he came to the city of Eilenburg, Saxony, which was a walled city. The city served as a […]
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Fairest Lord Jesus is a song of mystery. The author and origin of the song are unknown. The song seems to have originated as a folk song in Germany and other areas of Europe. Some historians believe the song may even date back to the 12th Century when it was sung by the German crusaders as the made their long, […]
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One Day was written by John Wilbur Chapman. Chapman was born on June 17, 1859 and came to understand salvation from D. L. Moody. Moody later encouraged him to enter full-time evangelism. Chapman was elected Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly in 1918 and considered a leader among the American Presbyterians. Charles Howard Marsh was a student of Dr. Chapman. […]
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